There’s something so comforting and nostalgic about tater tot casserole. I’ve been wanting to make a new version (without cream soup) for a while now and after lots of brainstorming, it’s here. My Barbecue Tater Tot Casserole is the perfect twist on the classic dish we all know and love.
My version has a scratch made sauce made by creating a roux with flour and beef broth. Then you stir in your favorite thick barbecue sauce along with spices like chili powder, garlic powder and onion powder. The ground beef layer is topped with plenty of sharp cheddar then row after row of tater tots. We don’t stop here, though! You sprinkle even more of those bold seasonings on top of the tots for another layer of flavor. It turns out AMAZING!
Your Grocery List
- Lean ground beef
- Yellow onion
- Salt and pepper
- Chili powder
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Flour
- Low sodium beef broth
- BBQ sauce – thick variety like Sweet Baby Ray’s
- Frozen mixed vegetables
- Cheddar cheese (I like sharp!)
- Tater tots
How to Make Barbecue Tater Tot Casserole
First, brown ground beef with the onions in a large, deep skillet.
Next, drain the grease then add seasonings and flour and stir together.
Then pour in a can of beef broth and stir. Bring to a low boil and let it thicken. This is why you don’t need to use canned cream soup! You just made your own thick sauce!
Once the sauce is thick, add in the BBQ sauce and stir to combine everything. Next, add the frozen mixed vegetables. The vegetables are versatile, too. You could use any variety you like and even add bell pepper.
Assembling and Serving
To assemble the Barbecue Tater Tot Casserole, pour the beef mixture into a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish then top with shredded cheddar.
Top with lined rows of tater tots then sprinkle with remaining seasoning. Pop it in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until tots are golden brown.
Look at all of that bubbly, brown, saucy goodness! Serve it up right away and enjoy! I’ll never make the old version of this again. Barbecue Tater Tot Casserole will forever win in my book and with my family!
Sponsored post for Lee’s Marketplace. Ingredients on sale March 23-29 (2022): ground beef, BBQ sauce
Barbecue Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 lbs lean ground beef
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 2 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, divided
- 1 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, divided
- 1 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
- black pepper, to taste
- 1/8 cup all-purpose flour
- 14.5 oz can low sodium beef broth
- 3/4 cup BBQ sauce (thicker kind like Sweet Baby Ray's)
- 1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (peas, corn, carrots and green beans)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 28 oz bag tater tots
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Heat a large, deep non-stick skillet to medium-high then add ground beef and onions. Cook and crumble beef until browned. Drain grease if needed.
- Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon each chili powder, onion powder and garlic powder, and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with flour then stir to combine.
- Add beef broth then stir and bring to a low boil. After a few minutes, when sauce thickens, stir in BBQ sauce. Add mixed vegetables and stir to combine.
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish lightly with oil then pour in beef mixture. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Top with a single layer of tater tots. Sprinkle top with remaining spices.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until tots are golden brown.
I made this for dinner last night. It is very good! Mine didn’t thicken up so the tater tots didn’t get too crispy. I could tell it wasn’t thick enough but I didn’t do anything to fix it so that’s on me. But my husband loved it and called dibs on the leftovers for lunch today. I’ll make it again and be sure to get it right. Thanks as always for a great recipe!
Thanks for the review!
I am making this tonight but with bbq leftover pulled pork. I have high hopes it will be amazing. Thank you for the recipe idea. 🙂
Sounds yummy!